The World Series concluded last night in K.C. with the Giants' win over the Royals, but for "all this Fall Classic represented, we should just refer it as the Bud Bowl," according to David Lennon of NEWSDAY. Lennon: "Could there be a more fitting send-off for Bud Selig?" Much of his legacy "was on display" last night, as one of the "goals of Selig's administration had been to level the playing field and the Royals' success was a vindication of that effort." Neither the Royals nor the Giants "would even be playing" in the World Series if "not for Selig, who presided over the implementation of the first wild card in 1995 and the addition of the second" for '12. Traditionalists "balked at the further expansion of the playoffs, as they always do in baseball," but after "seeing the tailored-for-TV drama of do-or-die, one-game playoffs and the validation of the wild-card qualifiers, there aren't many detractors." Selig's innovation has "greatly enhanced both the September stretch run as well as the postseason" (NEWSDAY, 10/30). The AP's Ronald Blum notes last night's game "featured a pair of wild-card teams that had already played during the regular season," and it was a "finale hosted by the club whose league won the All-Star game." Managers were able to "contest calls by umpires, the final decision coming from a replay room far from the field." All those "innovations came during Selig's 22 years in charge," yet his "biggest imprint before departing in January may be the economic changes he helped usher into the tradition-bound game." Selig "leaves a legacy in concrete: 20 of the 30 big league ballparks opened during his tenure." Selig also "pushed for splitting each league into three divisions instead of two and the expansion of the playoffs from four teams to eight; interleague play; having the All-Star game winning-league receive World Series home-field advantage; and another playoff expansion to 10 teams" (AP, 10/30).
UPON FURTHER REVIEW: MLB.com's Paul Hagen notes MLB used expanded replay "for the first time" this year, and in the third inning of Game 7, there was a "close call that could have impacted the outcome of the game." With the score tied at 2, it was "originally ruled" that Royals 1B Eric Hosmer had beaten a throw to first base "on a potential double play." Giants manager Bruce Bochy "challenged the call, however, and the replay official in New York overturned it, helping to short-circuit a potential" Royals rally. Selig: "It makes me happy because we got it right. Instant replay worked out just beautifully. It couldn't have gone better. [D-Backs Chief Baseball Officer] Tony La Russa keeps saying to me -- you know, he was very much involved -- how great it was. It was just tremendous" (
MLB.com, 10/30).
GOING OUT ON A POSITIVE NOTE: In N.Y., Tyler Kepner writes under the headline, "As He Bows Out, Bud Selig Sees Positive Signs." While "fewer fans now watch the World Series" on TV, they "still seem happy to spend money on the sport, which has opened 20 new major league parks in the Selig era." The idea of "using public money for stadiums is a legitimate debate, but few could argue that the fan experience is better in almost every case." MLB still "has problems," as the Giants have "no African-Americans on their World Series roster, reflecting a trend in the game’s demographics." Meanwhile, the "stain of the steroid era mars the annual Hall of Fame voting process, and some fans will always be suspicious of players," while the games are "taking longer than ever." Selig "acknowledges the problems," as he appointed a committee that is "studying ways to increase African-American participation." Also, the drug-testing program is "rigorous and, it seems, largely effective," while the Arizona Fall League also is "using a pitch clock in some games" as MLB "seeks a way to quicken the pace." Selig "will not fix everything" before being succeeded by Rob Manfred in January, but the "notion that baseball was anything but healthy and thriving seemed utterly laughable" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/30).
